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Foundational cloud concepts, core Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance.
Set by Microsoft
Free to start · 27 lessons · 3 mock exams · about 38 h of study
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Microsoft Azure Fundamentals (AZ-900) is the entry-level certification for learners who need a reliable grasp of cloud concepts, core Azure services, basic architecture, and the tools and principles used to manage and govern Azure environments. It is commonly taken by career starters, technical sales and support staff, students, managers, and practitioners moving into Azure-focused roles. A strong score shows that you can recognise the right Azure services, explain shared responsibility and cloud models, and apply governance, pricing, security, and compliance concepts accurately under exam conditions.
Courselo prepares you for that standard directly from the live specification. You get a lesson for every syllabus point, adaptive practice built around the real item styles used in AZ-900, full mock exams at exam length, a running predicted score, and a study plan that prioritises your weakest domains. Because the exam is broad rather than deeply technical, top performance comes from precise coverage, disciplined revision, and repeated practice with Microsoft-style wording. The aim is not just to pass 700, but to make every scored item feel familiar before test day.
Format
45 min in total · 1 section
AZ-900. Standard Microsoft Azure Fundamentals exam covering foundational cloud concepts, core Azure services and architecture, and Azure management and governance.
A single computer-based section covering cloud concepts, Azure architecture and services, and Azure management and governance. Items are typically multiple choice, drag-and-drop, and hot area, with the total count varying by form.
Question types
Scoring
1–1000 · pass 700
Top-marks target
A strong margin above the passing standard on Microsoft's 1-1000 scale.
Syllabus
3 units · 27 topics · about 38 h of lessons and core practice
≈ 4%1 h
This topic covers what cloud computing is, why it differs from traditional on-premises IT, and how responsibility is divided between the cloud provider and the customer. The exam typically tests recognition of cloud characteristics and identification of who is responsible for security and management tasks in different service models.
Your course
AI-generated · reviewedParts of this course are generated from the official specification the first time they’re needed, then checked and kept.
Lessons
27
One for every syllabus topic, generated from the official specification and checked
Practice questions
Adaptive
Generated for each topic as you practise, checked before you see them, each with an explanation
Mock exams
3
Questions
No. 700 is a scaled score, not a published raw percentage threshold.
Microsoft converts performance on scored items to the 1-1000 reporting scale, and the exact conversion is not published. In practice, treat 700 as the pass line and use repeated timed mocks to judge readiness rather than chasing a specific raw percentage.
Microsoft states that AZ-900 typically contains about 40-60 items.
The exact count is not published for every form, and some forms may feel longer or shorter depending on item type. Prepare for the full 45-minute exam rather than for a fixed question count.
Set a target and a test date. You’ll take a diagnostic, see a predicted score with its range, and get a plan for every week until the exam.
Microsoft states a typical total of 40–60 items, but does not publish a fixed count for every form. Reported domain weighting for the overall exam is: cloud concepts 25–30%, Azure architecture and services 35–40%, Azure management and governance 30–35%.
Delivery. Delivered as a proctored computer-based exam through Pearson VUE, either at a test centre or online. A student pathway is also available through Certiport.
The current AZ-900 exam is normally a single timed test of 45 minutes, with about 65 minutes allowed for the full appointment. Candidates answer a variable number of items, typically 40–60, drawn from the published domains. There is no open-book access and no scheduled break within the exam time.
In the standard Pearson VUE delivery, you work through the questions on screen and can usually review and change answers within the active section before final submission. Microsoft uses scaled scoring, with 700 as the passing standard on a 1–1000 scale, and there is no penalty for guessing. AZ-900 does not require a calculator in normal use, and none should be assumed.
900
Safe pass target
Comfortable passing buffer for a well-prepared candidate.
800
Minimum pass
Official passing score.
700
Microsoft reports one scaled score from 1 to 1000, and 700 is the passing score.
The exam is not reported as a simple percentage correct. Instead, the number of scored marks you earn is converted to the reported scale using a raw-to-scaled process that Microsoft does not publish in full. Because the exact conversion table is undisclosed, the curve above is an exam-faithful estimate for planning and progress tracking.
For AZ-900, treat your practice performance like this:
The blueprint uses a single overall score because Microsoft reports one certification result rather than separate section scores. Domain percentages guide content emphasis, not official sub-scores.
For study decisions, use these practical benchmarks:
| Band | From |
|---|---|
| PassMeets the certification standard for Azure Fundamentals. | 700+ |
| Near passClose to the passing standard; review weaker objective areas and retest after targeted practice. | 650+ |
| Below passDoes not yet meet the certification standard. | 1+ |
≈ 4.5%1 h 15 min
This topic covers the three primary cloud deployment models and the typical reasons an organization chooses each one. The exam tests the ability to match business or technical scenarios to public, private, or hybrid cloud approaches and to recognize their trade-offs.
≈ 4%1 h
This topic covers the cloud’s consumption-based model and the economic ideas that make cloud spending different from capital-heavy on-premises IT. The exam tests understanding of pay-as-you-go charging, the shift from capital expenditure to operational expenditure, and why cloud can reduce overprovisioning.
≈ 5.5%1 h 30 min
This topic covers core cloud quality attributes and how they affect application and service behavior. The exam tests whether candidates can distinguish these terms and apply them correctly to scenarios involving uptime, growth, demand changes, resilience, and consistent performance or cost expectations.
≈ 4.5%1 h 15 min
This topic covers the broad operational benefits organizations gain from cloud services beyond simple hosting, especially in security, governance, and management. The exam tests recognition of how cloud tools and architectures improve security posture, policy enforcement, and resource administration at scale.
≈ 4.5%1 h 30 min
This topic covers the main cloud service models and how they differ in responsibility, abstraction, and typical use. The exam tests the ability to identify IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, and serverless solutions from descriptions and to choose the best fit for a business or technical requirement.
About 7 h 30 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 4%1 h 30 min
Covers how Azure is organized physically and geographically, including datacenters, regions, availability zones, region pairs, and sovereign regions. The exam tests recognition of these constructs, their purpose, and when they improve resiliency, compliance, or latency.
≈ 3%1 h 15 min
Covers the logical organization of Azure resources from individual resources up through resource groups, subscriptions, and management groups. The exam tests whether candidates can place services correctly in the hierarchy and understand how organization, billing, access, and governance scope relate to each level.
≈ 4%2 h
Covers Azure compute services used to run applications and workloads, including virtual machines, scale sets, containers, Azure Kubernetes Service, Azure Virtual Desktop, and Azure Functions. The exam tests service selection based on control level, orchestration needs, scaling behavior, and workload type.
≈ 3%1 h 15 min
Covers core ways to host applications in Azure, especially Azure App Service, containers, and virtual machines. The exam tests matching a hosting approach to application requirements such as platform management, deployment style, and infrastructure control.
≈ 4%1 h 45 min
Covers the basic building blocks of Azure networking, including virtual networks, subnets, peering, and Azure DNS. The exam tests whether candidates understand private network segmentation, connectivity between networks, and name resolution in Azure.
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
Covers major Azure connectivity options to Azure resources and networks, including VPN Gateway, ExpressRoute, and public and private endpoints. The exam tests selection of secure connectivity methods for internet-based, private, and hybrid access scenarios.
≈ 4%1 h 45 min
Covers Azure storage offerings and the storage account constructs used to provide them. The exam tests recognition of the main storage services and the ability to choose an appropriate service or account option for common data scenarios.
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
Covers how Azure Storage protects data, optimizes storage cost and access patterns, and supports moving files into Azure. The exam tests understanding of redundancy choices, Blob access tiers, and high-level file transfer options.
≈ 3%1 h 15 min
Covers Microsoft Entra ID and related Azure directory services used for identity and domain needs. The exam tests understanding of cloud identity, tenant concepts, and when to use Microsoft Entra Domain Services versus traditional identity approaches.
≈ 4%2 h
Covers how users and workloads prove identity, how external users are handled, how access decisions are enforced, and how Azure permissions are assigned. The exam tests understanding of authentication methods, conditional access principles, external identities, and Azure role-based access control scopes.
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
Covers the Zero Trust security model, layered defense-in-depth principles, and Microsoft Defender for Cloud. The exam tests conceptual understanding of how Azure security is structured and how Defender for Cloud improves security posture and workload protection.
About 17 h 15 min of study, lessons and core practice
≈ 4%1 h 15 min
Covers the main variables that change what you pay in Azure, including technical choices, billing boundaries, and market-related factors. The exam typically tests recognition of which scenario increases or decreases cost rather than requiring exact price memorization.
≈ 3%1 h
Covers the purpose and use of Microsoft’s online estimation tools for cloud cost forecasting and migration comparison. The exam tests when to use the Pricing calculator versus the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) calculator and how to interpret their outputs at a high level.
≈ 4%1 h 30 min
Covers Azure features used to monitor spending, enforce budget awareness, and optimize cost over time. The exam focuses on selecting the right governance or reporting feature for a cost-control scenario.
≈ 4%1 h 30 min
Covers governance controls that enforce organizational standards and protect resources from unwanted change. The exam commonly tests the difference between preventing non-compliant deployments with Azure Policy and preventing accidental modification or deletion with resource locks.
≈ 3%1 h 15 min
Covers Microsoft tools for data governance and for reviewing Microsoft’s compliance, privacy, and security documentation. The exam tests broad understanding of what Microsoft Purview does and when to use the Service Trust Portal for audit reports and compliance information.
≈ 2%45 min
Covers the browser-based graphical interface for creating, configuring, and monitoring Azure resources. The exam typically tests recognition of common portal capabilities, navigation concepts, and when the portal is an appropriate management tool.
≈ 3%1 h 30 min
Covers command-line and scripting tools for Azure administration, including the browser-based Azure Cloud Shell and the Azure CLI and Azure PowerShell toolsets. The exam tests tool identification, basic use cases, and the distinction between Bash/CLI and PowerShell-based management.
≈ 4%1 h 45 min
Covers the Azure Resource Manager control plane and the use of infrastructure-as-code templates for repeatable deployments. The exam focuses on understanding consistent deployment, declarative templates, and the benefits of managing resources as a group.
≈ 3%1 h 15 min
Covers Azure Arc as a way to extend Azure management and governance to resources outside native Azure, including on-premises and multicloud environments. The exam tests what Azure Arc is for and the kinds of resources and management experiences it can bring into Azure.
≈ 5%1 h 45 min
Covers Azure services used to observe resource health, receive incident information, and obtain best-practice recommendations. The exam commonly tests which service to use for telemetry and alerts, for Azure platform incidents, or for cost, security, reliability, and performance guidance.
About 13 h 30 min of study, lessons and core practice
1 diagnostic · 2 full-length, timed and scored like the real test
Strategy guides
7
Pacing, section strategy and test-day guides
Free to start
Every lesson and guide is free, with 40 practice questions a day and the diagnostic. Pro removes the limits.
Compare plansMicrosoft does not publish a complete public scoring table for individual AZ-900 items.
That means you should not assume every item carries identical weight, and you should not rely on any unofficial claim about exactly how many unscored items may appear. The safest exam strategy is to treat every item as important and manage time evenly.
The most common causes are:
Yes. The exam is available as a proctored computer-based test through Pearson VUE, either online or at a test centre. A student pathway is also available through Certiport.
Based on the verified format facts for this blueprint, the certification does not expire.